Delhi, 14 November (H.S.): The counting of votes for the by-elections held on Tuesday for eight assembly seats across seven states began on Friday morning. The results, which will determine the electoral fate of candidates in Jammu & Kashmir, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Telangana, Punjab, Mizoram, and Odisha, are expected by the end of the day.

This coincides with the announcement of the results for the Bihar assembly elections.

According to the Election Commission of India, the vote counting process commenced at 8:00 AM for the constituencies of Budgam and Nagrota in Jammu & Kashmir, Anta in Rajasthan, Ghatshila in Jharkhand, Jubilee Hills in Telangana, Tarn Taran in Punjab, Dampa in Mizoram, and Nuapada in Odisha.Among these contests, the by-election for the Budgam seat in Jammu & Kashmir has generated the most significant attention.

The poll was necessitated by the resignation of former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. In the 2024 assembly elections, Abdullah had secured victory from two seats, Ganderbal and Budgam, but later chose to retain the Ganderbal constituency and vacate the Budgam seat.

A total of 20 candidates are contesting for this high-profile seat.The key contenders in the Budgam by-poll include Agha Mahmood from the National Conference, Agha Syed Muntazir from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and Syed Mohsin from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar